Wichita eagle., 1887-10-05

1
III your feeling OF security. You AZ %
close to the water that your feeling Of psrn
b increased, and the movement Of the small
boat Is 80 responsive to the slightest swell
that even a good sailor il unnamed by ths
change Indeed, SIR. IN officer though I was.
and trying very bard 70 b COOL and hopsful,
thought of Australia being 50 far away, and
the perils of the ocean % numerous, felt
like crying with the children.
The captain had given each one Of u The
true course to steer as we left the ship, and
each boat bad bean provided with lantern
to hang out at night His boat and that q
the first mate had eOmpAsssa was pro
vided with pocket compass, while the other
three boats had none. However, the idea
was TO keep in sight Of each other, and
had this been done perhaps all would
have gone we'll But there was trouble
at the very outset. Some OF The boats called
faster than others, and, - the captain
had arranged for no signals, not moro
than two hours bad passed before the boats
of the two other mates were almost ous o.
| sight ahead The carpenter could not he -
close to the wind as the rest OF Us, and he was
| making a bad drift to Toward The boat
| swain either lacked the nerve to crack on q
else his boat was overloaded and sluggish be
| was a mile in my wake, and I was on the
captains beam, to windwsrd and . quarter
Of a mile away. This was about the postiou
| three hours after the Ere broke out, end two
hours after we had taken to the boatA Tbs
ship had burned to tho waters edge. and was
ready to sink as she drifted OF before The
wind We noticed the captain making ag-
nails, and when we bad run down to him we
found his boat crowded, but al the occupants
hopeful. He asked me II had toe course,
| how my people were feeling, and then ad-
| vised that shorten sail so as not to outrun
| the carpenter and boatswain. l acted upon
the suggestion at once by taking reef in the
sail, and as the captains boat gradually
forged ahead Of Us his people gave US a cheer
and had it sent back to them.
The weather was now looking threatening.
with the sea getting up pretty fast, and as the
wind was almost doe east let the boat fau
of couple Of points to ease her jumping and
keep the spray of tho people. Tho boatswain
was now gaining on me slowly, and was
creeping down ON the carpenter. Half an
hour should have brought tho three Of u to
gether, but We were never to hear each
Others voices again. Our boat was making
tolerably good weather Of it, and the people
getting accustomed to the wild movement,
when the rough suddenly threw up his hands
and cried:
aGreat Godl but the carpentsr's boat has
capsizedl We are all done for unls0 No run
of before the windi"
He rose up and started to como aft, as II be
would take charge, but kept him back by
threats to brain him, and he finally covered
down In the bottom Of tho boat and moaned
and lamented like q child. His conduct had
greatly upset the other people, and it was i've
or ten minutes before I could silence them
am sorry to have to tell you, sir, that was
Obliged TO use very vigorous language, and
to exhibit my revolver and threaten to use IL.
While the rough was the worst one In the lot
the professor was not far behind him, and one
of the young men held Q naked knife In his
hand. as il he expected to have to fight me
for his life. II was only after 1 had quoted
the people that / could look for the carpsn-
ter's boat Nothing was to he seen OF 1t. but
! when had let my craft fall of = little more
and run a quarter Of @ mile further we all
caught sight Of the capsized craft There had
been from fourteen to sixteen people in her,
and every soul had gone down We saw ons
hat afioat but not another sign, although
sailed clear around the boat The boatswain
should have been close upon me by the time
we set our course again, but when looked
around for him I saw that be had put his
craft of before tho wind and was now run
ming off into the vast expanse OF the Indian
ocean at a lively rate II was an act Of the
barest folly, hut it may have been that his
people advised it and that he hadn't the nerve
to stand out. He had at least nine Hlen in his
boat, ell landsmen, and they may have
threatened his life OF taken forcible posses
sion of the tilier. alone knew Of this ma
neuver, and l determined to say nothing to
any Of the people. whispered to the sailor TO
creep forward and look for the captains
boat, for the weather was now thickening up
and much spray flying BE took my pocket
glasses and after q long time made her out
dead ahead, bat only . speck among the
foam. She had outrun Us rapidly, and could
know nothing Of what had happened to ths
other boats.
I will tell you here that toe boatswAinb
craft was never heard Of more. The eap-
tain's boat, containing . starved and enzA-
ciated woman, was picked mp by = coaster
ninety miles to tho west Of Tasmania, two
weeks after the wreck Sos died without
speaking, and what became OF the other
people can only be surmised The first mate
broke his compass, and held his course %
high that be vas picked up l50 miles 20 the
west Of Perth, with five Il his people dead
from eApos~-s. TIE second mate carried HI
boat ashore 100 miles w rzse vet q Adslaids,
losing four people. Al 70 the fats Of ;,.y hoat
shall give you more Particular / was IN
der general orders TO ksep the csptains boat
Ia sight, and to bold 20 the northeast, and
shook the reef out Of the sail and held the
boat up on her true course, hoping 20 sight
the captains boa. before dark. We never
saw il again, how,ver As the afternoon
wore away the weather grew thicker, and ss
about sunset counseied with the sailor and
we decided that we must ls 20. Most Of tho
people in the boa. had bean dreAdfully sick
for the las. hour or two, and ons or two Of
the children were liz q sort Of stupor Ths
sailor was veteran narnsd Manning. and
his ideas on the matter Of lying 20 and drift
ing it out agreed with mins.
~You see, SIR" be explained. I'VE are now
several points o6 our courss, and making -
much drift as hesdvay, and before We are
two hours older we are going to 80 more
wind We must put her bead 20 IL and rids
II out
He lasbed the carr together % make dyae,
and a. further precaussoo b made . second
one Of piece u plank and . III. of spar,
which stuff bad sccidentAliy been lett In tbs
boat by the carpeut<r while making rspAin
without a sprinkle Of vssSr c1Ding aboard
Then resigned ny sest 70 rcoss up the
people and put them in ssaEs for the night